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Top 5 button-down psychos

Sitting having lunch outside recently my eye was drawn to a rather odd fellow walking past. With a bolt upright posture and off-kilter gait, shirt tucked neatly into high waisted chinos and a backpack pulled super tight, he instantly put me in mind of a psycho.

Not an overt ‘Begby’ style one a la Trainspotting, but a buttoned-down average Joe, one of those blue-collar types. The kind that no one notices… Until it’s too late.

To paint you a better picture here are some creepy characters that sprang to mind. Pray you never meet them as your day will most likely get a hell of a lot worse.

William Foster (Michael Douglas) Falling Down
Douglas’s Foster is the most average Joe on this list (if you couldn’t tell from his outfit) and managed to dominate every situation he encountered – in a zen like way only achieved by a man who’s long ago fought the devil of insanity and lost but grimly accepted the outcome.

John Doe (Kevin Spacey) Seven
Whatever you do, ensure you know where your wife is at all times, especially if you’re on the hunt for an unassuming chap like Spacey’s Doe. Only appearing completely in the flesh near the end of the movie, he still made a profound and visceral impact.

Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem) No Country for Old Men
Beyond his supremely creepy haircut, which just screamed psycho, Bardem gave his character a really understated level of malevolence and menace. His weapon of choice, too, was inspired, and should earn a place in the psycho hall of fame.

Don Logan (Sir Ben Kingsley) Sexy Beast
Barely concealed fury personified. In Logan, Kingsley created a character which, in other actor’s hands, could have been laughed at or dismissed as thinly drawn; yet here he commands you watch and fear him. Ray Winstone looked scared to death.

Kevin (Ezra Miller) We Need To Talk About Kevin
This film didn’t grab me initially but there’s no denying Miller’s consummate performance as Kevin. The subtle yet brazenly disturbing way in which he torments his family – particularly his sister – before letting loose on his school is truly frightening.

I have to disagree, Michael. Part of what made him so effective is that he was so average, for a Wall Street yuppie, at least. To most he didn’t have much of a discernible personality, hung around his co-workers, and philosophized about pop music. But, it is your list so I can’t argue too much, lol.